Turning leaves
by kikiyosoetomecraig
Summary: When Kakashi brings a mysterious character back to the village, he doesn't expect to be assigned (against her wishes) as her guard. Could she change his ways? Not all is what meets the eye with this kunoichi. This is a romance/adventure, rated M for a reason... May be some other Naruto pairings along the way, I haven't decided yet ;)
1. Encounter

**Hello** **this is my first fanfic and I'm a tiny bit obsessed with Naruto so I decided this had better be the subject… Just a warning to you impatient readers out there ;) this is a slow start but once it gets going it's pretty exciting and believable. I hope you enjoy and please review!**

Team Kakashi crouched low beneath the leaf canopy. Sun rippled over their skin through the branches as they watched the road from under the bushes. All of them were marked with red cuts and grime from their mission, their eyes drooping a little from fatigue. Lazy zephyrs drifted over them, ruffling their hair and adding to their drowsiness.

Just half an hour ago they had failed an infiltration of Orochimaru's layer. The madman had blown the whole place up whilst he made his escape- littering the ground with purple flag stones and unrecognisable debree of bizarre shapes and sizes. With a distressed Naruto in tow they had started to drag themselves back to the hidden leaf, tails between their legs, dreading the reaction of the lady hokage...

Until Kakashi picked up someone following them at speed from the the ruin. So, this is how they ended up on the floor in wait of their pursuer. The three spread uncomfortably on the rocky floor, glaring with anisipation at the road.

Soon enough faint sounds of unsteady footsteps came through the ground, all three fixed their eyes to the bend in the path a little behind them.

Some tracker... Running straight down the trail like that...- thought Kakashi as he tensed his muscles ready to spring. Small, peppy hairs twinged at the back of his neck as his senses lit up. He secured his anbu mask to his face a little better over his usual black material. All of a sudden, a blur of grey whipped around the corner. Kakashi gave a hand raise signal and leapt out into the road as Sakura pummelled her fist into the ground, sending fissures across the path with a grunt. The tracker stumbled as was planned as their toe caught in the rocky gaps and sailed forward, colliding with Kakashi's anbu breastplate. With a groan, they fell onto their back with the impact as Kakashi stood firm and unfazed by the, frankly, feeble impact.

A girl?- thought Kakashi, raising his eyebrows as he studied her thin face. She looked even younger than Sakura but it was hard to tell. She clearly malnourished judging by her thinness making her age hard to judge.

She groaned again as she opened her eyes slowly squinting up at Kakashi who stood above her, studying her through his fox mask. He gasped silently as the air was knocked from his lungs, her eyes were so cold and icy in colour it made him wince. She growled under her breath as she struggled to her feet, slowly and painfully, her eyebrows set low aggressively. Once on her feet she launched herself forward, fist extended.

"Rotten bastard!" She spat as she threw her closed fingers at his masked face with little control. He vanished, re-appeared behind her and chopped at the back of her neck quickly with his palm. Her face slackened as her eyes rolled back. She crumpled to the floor, her long hair lining the earth. It was hard to see her shape in the mass of grey fabric she was swathed in, the kimono was at least four sizes too big and completely drowned her as she wilted into the road.

Pausing for a second to make sure she was unconscious, Kakashi crouched down and pulled her into his arms a little so that he could study her face. With her head resting on his thigh, he took in the sharp and defined features without the pressure of her eyes. She was eerily beautiful, in a way that a ghost might be if he believed in them.

"Let me check her over sensei." Demanded Sakura, running over and pulling off her gloves. She pressed gently over the girls body with her green chakra. Sakura's brow furrowed more so as she continued to run her fingers over the girls rib cage. She grew almost as pale as the girl and Kakashi gulped. This was not good.

"Kakashi... This girl... Is dying." She murmured a little shakily. Kakashi winced slightly and looked up to Sakura expectantly.

"Her heart is slowing down, it's pneumonia and her lung and rib condition is life threatening. We have to snap to it, back to the village, there's a chance... If we get her to lady tsunade..." She said quickly, climbing to her feet and readying herself. Kakashi gently picked the girl up and held her in his arms, so light... It wasn't natural- he thought as he cradled her a little uncomfortably.

With a spurt of speed all three leapt skywards and took to the trees as a cover for their journey back. Kakashi sailed up front, the girls toffee hair sailing behind him in a banner like fashion. He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, trying to keep her warm as the wind whipped around them aggressively. Soon enough they reached the village. Without stopping to check in, Kakashi went ahead at top speed through the great gates and to the hokage's office. He bounded up the stairs, his face frowning beneath the two masks. Not bothering to knock, he burst into the wood panel office and stopped in the doorway.

Lady Tsunade looked up irritably from her paper work over a pair of red horned glasses. Ink blots smudged her hands and there was a small red stress mark from where she had rubbed between her eye brows.

"N-no time to explain, please..." He panted, walking forward with the girl. Instantly, the lady was shoving everything off of her desk to shizune's dismay. Papers sailed with a carefree air and a small pot of ink tumbled, cracking and leaking as it hit the floor. Tsunade did not notice as she welcomed the body to the table. Kakashi placed the girl carefully on the desk and stood by as Tsunade emitted her own green chakra over the girl's torso with a more practises light than Sakura's medical ninjutsu.

"Broken ribs. Weak lungs. Three ruptured organs... Oh my goodness her heart! I need the medical core in here now!" Yelled Tsunade, pulling away the girl's kimono. Shizune stepped to it, ushering Kakashi out as she went to get the medics. Unwillingly, Kakashi sat down heavily on a bench outside the office as he saw a troop of medics run in. He sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't realised how much that race had tired him out.

What's wrong with me? I never get this riled up...- he thought to himself as he anxiously fiddled with a loose thread on his anbu vest, picking at the fraying hem. She was just so...

He didn't know what. About an hour later the medics left with the girl on a stretcher, covered in a dark green blanket up to her chin and what looked like a body heater. Kakashi stood up quickly and looked down at her whist fully as she passed. She was even paler than before if that was possible, with several tubes attached to her in various places. Shizune followed them out mopping her brow agitatedly with a shaky breath.

"Oh Kakashi, you're still here? Well go on in then." She said, re opening the door for him and stepping aside. Kakashi walked in quickly and looked up to Tsunade who sat on her desk looking concerned. She glanced up.

"Ah yes... You have some explaining to do young man..." She said, giving him the eye as he shut the door behind himself...

Kakashi walked into the hospital four days later, yawning through his mask, he arrived at the front desk and waited for the nurse to finish her phone call. He shuffled his feet on the linoleum floors anxiously. Looking up to the stairs behind her he sighed at the prospect of his new mission. Having had a long conversation with Tsunade, it had been decided that he would be the girl's guard while she was held in the hidden leaf. It was apparently a risky job seeing as they had no idea who the girl was and why she came from Orochimaru's layer. On studying her in the clinic under anaesthetic, it became apparent that she was under a chakra block. There was no way of telling if she could be dangerous or not, so Kakashi would watch her until she was at a state of health in which they could release her chakra.

"Oh h-hey Kakashi! Stuttered the nurse fiddling with her hair. "She's on the sixth floor number 6..."

Kakashi nodded and walked past. Six floors? That's a bit much- he thought as he trudged up the stairs lethargically.

Some time later he arrived outside the door, opening it, he stepped into the mix section of the two doors, re sealing the first door, he then stepped inside the second and re sealed that before looking over to the bed by the window.

There she was. Kakashi walked silently towards the bedside and looked down at her face, taking the time to study it.

Beautiful. Was his instant thought. He shook his head vigorously, though he couldn't really see her body through the hospital clothes which were much too big, she must have been even younger than Naruto and Sakura! It was just wrong! But still- he thought, reaching out to run his fingers along the side of her face and to cup her chin.

"What to do about you." He muttered as he moved his hand under her fringe, taking her temperature. So cold...

Suddenly a light groan escaped the girls sleepily parted lips as her eyes flicked open slowly. She looked up to Kakashi in confusion, her eyebrows delicately scrunched above those breath stealing eyes. Kakashi found himself blushing slightly at her confused pout, for which he mentally kicked himself.

It didn't take long for the girl to realise that there was a strange masked man, standing over her, with his hand pressed to her forehead. The corners of her mouth turned down and her brows furrowed. Wind whipped a little stronger at the curtains through the barred window.

"Th-that hair..." She murmured, recognising the silver mass. "You..." She growled. Her body started shaking as she drew a fist from under the duvet.

"H-hang on a minute... Lady Tsunade put you under paralysis! You shouldn't be able to move!" He exclaimed, staring in amazement as the girls fist slowly extended towards his face. A temple pulsed hard from the effort.

He relaxed his face in the realisation that she wasn't going anywhere fast. He put his hand gently on her fist.

"It's useless, stop before you strain yourself." He said softly. He felt the coldness of her hand and felt the shiver in her arms with the contact. "Here you're cold, let me get the covers out from under you, it'll help you warm up." He offered as the wind settled and continued to lap against the curtains and bars.

Kakashi started to slide the duvet out from under her gently. Taking care not to touch her at first.

"W-wait." She stuttered as he lifted her hips a little to get the sheets from under her.

"It's useless you being difficult so just relax a bit, I'm not going to do anything to you." He said monotonously. In reality he was quite nervous around her with his hands under her hips. She was so delicate he felt like stroking her hair, her face and neck.

The girl blushed pink, feeling patronised, she let Kakashi pull the duvet over her up to her chin and tuck her in a little. The way he leaned over her made her nervous, though she was really cold...

Kakashi enjoyed the light blush on her cheeks, she looked a little less ghostly that way, smirking slightly, he brushed a few stray hairs from her face, taking his time and letting his fingers brush against her cheek. She winced under his touch, her eyes wide and innocent as a fawn's.

She may be young, but it sure was fun making her blush like that, he thought as he sat down beside her, pulling out his book. He glanced up every now and again to watch her eyes drooping, until eventually she fell asleep.

She didn't wake up all that much besides that, and when she did it was just to stare at the panelled ceiling, though Kakashi did catch her staring at him every now and again. Tension fell gradually as the second week passed as the pair got used to the silent company they gave each other.

Around half way through the second week of company, finally one of them broke the ice.

"H-hey, do you have any food?" Stammered the girl, tumbling over her words. Kakashi slapped his book shut and looked over to her resting his elbows on his thighs. He leaned forward in his wooden chair.

"Sorry no, you're not allowed food while we don't know who you are and while you're in this condition... May as well get used to it." He replied plainly, his eyes cold. There was a moments pause as they met eyes in silence, studying each other's faces. "There's no need to be so nervous of me you know, I'm not going to do anything." Sighed Kakashi resting his chin on his fist.

"I'm not scared." She said with a little more force than usual, "I just don't want to be here and imprisoned understandably." She scowled as she glanced over at him with her icy eyes. Kakashi shivered a little at how bright they were next to the rest of her face. Then he smirked lightly under the mask, stood up and walked over to her. Slowly and deadly, he moved to intimidate.

She strained to move a little away over the bed as he bent over her, pressing his face closer and closer to hers. She felt his hair brush against hers and flinched her face, her eyes screwed shut and her mouth a tight line of dread. She whimpered a little as she felt his breath on her cheek.

"Not afraid at all." He whispered, she felt the cold words mocking her running over her face, the corners of her mouth turned down.

"Well wouldn't y-you be if a man twice your size got that close to you when you can't move?" She stammered, squeaking a little.

"You're pretty smart mouthed for a little girl." He teased, looking at her sideways.

"L-little girl?!" She said incredulously. She leaned slightly over the bed to get a glimpse at the mirror. "Oh cripes I look about five..." She groaned as Kakashi pushed her back to her original position by the shoulders, looking at her sceptically. Why would her appearance surprise her?

She grizzled to herself quietly for a little while as Kakashi looked out the window in thought as birds flitted by, singing sharply. He looked back to her. Those eyes just kept drawing him in. They looked like they didn't belong on her face. They were fully formed and everything... Yet they seemed half formed and weak in her face, timeless by comparison to the rest of her.

A day later, there was a knock at the door. On opening, Lady Tsunade and Ibiki Morino walked in.

"It's time Kakashi." Said Tsunade. Ibiki walked forward and wrapped his hands around either side of her rib cage before hoisting her out of bed. Kakashi winced at how rough he was being with her. She coughed slightly with the pressure as he held her above the ground. Kakashi walked behind her and took her arms gently, tying them behind her back as he whispered in her ear- "just so you don't get any ideas about punching me again." She shivered at his breath on her neck. Kakashi took her from Ibiki and carried her from the room, following lady Tsunade.

The girl blushed as she was pressed gently against Kakashi's chest, she felt shy as she was held to the hardness of his breast. A little gulp formed in her throat.

"I've prepared the trigram table for you Kakashi, you'll just have to find the point of sealing and complete the markings." Said Ibiki as he walked along side.

"8 trigrams huh?" Said Kikiyo, "you're releasing all my chakra? Wow you're niave..."

"You're also paralysed, I'm not too worried." Said Ibiki sharply as he held open a door for Kakashi who walked in. The door was closed behind them. The floor was marked in blood characters in a circle with a gap in the middle. Kakashi carried her to the centre and lay her down on her front there. He stood back and pulled up his head band. His sharingan glared through the dull light of the room. Kikiyo looked up to it in shock...

"You're eyes, are like mine." She said slowly, her face serious. Kakashi cocked his head- "in what way?" He asked.

"You'll see..." She replied as Kakashi glared through his ominous eye at her. All of her chakra collected inbetween her shoulder blades.

"That's it then." He muttered to himself as he reached down and pulled away the top part of her Kimono. She squeaked slightly and blushed again- luckily she had bandages around her upper body from her injuries. Kakashi bit his thumb, drawing blood and then printed blood characters up her arms and over her back towards the focus point. The girl shivered at the gentle marking from Kakashi as he lined her skin with his blood tipped fingers.

"Try to relax, you getting all tensed up will make it harder for the both us when I'm performing this jutsu." Said Kakashi as he applied the last touches. He stood back and started to weave his hand signs, whispering the incantations under his breath before pressing the palm of his hand into her back.

Lightening shot through both as Kakashi watched her chakra flood over her body, back into her system. It hit him like a bucket of ice, the malevolence in her chakra, he'd never felt anything like it. Kakashi fell to his knees as the girl panted on the floor. He lifted her slowly and pulled her onto her back, slightly onto his lap so that he could see her face. She opened her eyes as he moved her. Kakashi gasped. One was icy blue, the other bright orange and with a cats pupil.

"I really should kill y-you... Now..." She wheezed, choking on her words.

Lightning flashed in the eye as she stared upwards at Kakashi's face, exhausted from the jutsu. He held his breath. She had aged! Her face was more mature and everything appeared more muscular but in a slim way. Was it just him, or was she more beautiful now, her skin was maybe even paler, her eyes were brighter and her features more refined. Her hair aswell! Longer and thicker, it fell down to bellow her behind now and fell glossier, tumbling over her shoulders.

What was wrong with him?! He had just received a death threat but instead of raising his guard he was busy studying her facial features.

Kakashi sighed and looked to the door as Tsunade walked in again.

The woman froze in the doorway, her eyes wide. "Oh I know exactly who that is..." She murmured as she walked forward. "Isn't that right, Kikiyo Namikaze."


	2. Cold bed

**Hello again, I hope you enjoyed my first chapter! Here is the second. I know that it's been very very mild for an M rated fic but things are gonna heat up gradually. This chapter should be a bit more exciting than the last one but still not much eheh… Please review my work! This is my first fanfic so I have a lot to improve on and I apologise for my slow story progress :3**

"Oh I know exactly who that is..." She murmured as she walked forward. "Isn't that right, Kikiyo Namikaze."

"W-what?" Said Kakashi as the second name tumbled around his head. "Naruto's?"

"Cousin." Finished lady Tsunade- "...sort of. She's technically the genetic daughter of misiki Namikaze, the brother of Minato." Said the hokage with a nod to the unconscious girl on Kakashi's lap.

"Misiki... The dark side of Minato, he was always out to get his brother. Should we worry about Naruto?" Asked Kakashi, thoroughly shaken up to be meeting the niece of his old sensei... Again.

He remembered back to his early days before he became a jonin. Every now and again he would see Minato with a little girl with these strange eyes. He used to care for her when she was younger. Everything was tying together now.

"I... Wouldn't harm... My cousin." Groaned Kikiyo in retaliation, coming round from the seal release. "He's safe, unlike the rest of you."

At that moment Tsunade dived forward and slammed Kikiyo into the ground, landing on top, she pressed her hand on the girls forehead and incanted a jutsu.

"Five prong seal!" She yelled. Kikiyo writhed on the floor as her chakra focussed in on the back of her neck, a mark appeared and glowed an angry red.

"What did you..." Asked Kakashi.

Kikiyo's face appeared younger again. Not so much so as before though. She was smaller too. Her unusual eye turned back to blue.

"I sealed a portion of her chakra away, she's in a close to human state now... " Said Tsunade as she climbed to her feet. "She's too dangerous an enemy to allow running free."

"Human state?" Asked Kakashi.

Kikiyo spat at Tsunade who very quickly re strengthened the paralysis jutsu.

"I'm not the enemy Tsunade..." Growled Kikiyo from the floor as a couple of anbu filed in and picked her up. "I'm not the enemy..."

Kakashi continued his duty of watching Kikiyo for the next few days, tension was even higher, the girl hardly slept and spent her time staring at the ceiling. Security had tightened as she was now strapped to the bed. All tension spilled over six days later though...

Lady Tsunade walked in and up to Kikiyo to tighten her paralysis. Her eyes were cold and cruel as she advanced.

"So... You all still look at me like that." She murmured.

Lady Tsunade looked to the floor, a frown on her lips but Kakashi was sure he saw a twinge of guilt in her eyes.

"So now that Orochimaru isn't so convenient you're just gonna hold me here, out of use, like a dog."

She growled as Tsunade started to weave hand signs.

"The leaf hasn't changed at all... Selfish bastards. I will avenge my uncle, you let him face the nine tails alone... I'm guessing he wasn't convenient either!" She snapped. The hokage's hand signs faltered and her face grew red.

"Shut up... You don't know anything." She spat.

"I know my own experience of it. You cast me out because I wasn't convenient to keep." Sneered Kikiyo.

"What?" Asked the hokage, her face went from enraged to perplexed. "What do you mean cast out?"

"Oh only the whole being sent off to that snake Orochimaru! You people feared me after Minato died, didn't keep his promise to protect me, and so let him use me, experiment on me. You're just as bad..." She growled.

"Kikiyo... What have you been told." Asked Tsunade, calming down somewhat.

"How I was abandoned by my village!" She snarled.

"No... Kikiyo you were never abandoned... You were stollen." Said she, slowly and calmly.

"Well even if that was the case then you would have come and retrieved me. You're a powerful village right?!" She sneered. Kakashi wished she would yell, her cold tones were so much worse. She was unpredictable, like a faulting bomb.

"Kikiyo we found your corpse... In the sound village outskirts. If we had known even for a minute..."

"My corpse?" Asked the girl, still scowling but with a look of confusion.

"We underestimated Orochimaru's abilities back then..." She said slowly. "But now that you're alive..."

"I wasn't abandoned..." Muttered Kikiyo. Her face relaxed to a normal shape as she looked to the hokage. "However... I will not be treated like a lab rat... Or a zoo animal. I expect my freedom."

"You're not quite off the hook yet Kikiyo. I can offer your freedom to an extent but the elders will never accept you as a free running member. I can give you a position as a jonin... Under watch of Kakashi here." She said slowly, watching her face carefully.

"... As long as I am treated fairly, no harm will come to this village, that is my offer. And why does it have to be him?!" She demanded.

"He's one of our best. And if necessary his has an ocular jutsu which should be a match for yours."

"You speak as if you could choose to destroy this village... I will kill you first. That is my warning to you." Said Kakashi looking down on her.

"You over estimate yourself." She growled.

"No, for someone in your condition I'd say that's pretty bold." He said coldly.

"Anyway" interrupted Tsunade. "I am giving you a chance. You will recover and from now on, will live with Kakashi. I have already made arrangements with him as we need you to be guarded but I am also going to keep my word on not keeping you in a cell."

"Wh-what?! I can't live with him!" Stammered Kikiyo, panicking a little. Straining hard, she started to drag herself up to her feet. Inch by inch.

Tsunade's eyes widened, she shouldn't be able to move more than a couple of inches, even when the paralysis needed refreshing. Both watched in amazement as Kikiyo stood on shaking legs. She back slowly away from the hokage before stumbling and falling back into Kakashi's chest. Kakashi put his hands on her shoulders as she tried to push herself back up onto her own two feet and then pressed her down to the floor. Her legs crumpled and she ended up sitting, leaning on Kakashi's long legs to prop herself up.

The jonin smirked down at her, there was something very endearing about the way she leaned on his legs.

"What do you prefer the cell?" Asked Tsunade, eyeing her. "Kakashi needs to be able to watch you full time and the only way to do this is by making you live with him."

"Once you are trained up and fully recovered, I will assess your skill and there is a possibility of you being permitted to work as a shinobi. But only if you can prove your loyalty. Until then you need to do as you're told to heal. No running and escaping and being difficult in general you hear? I'm putting you under house arrest until you're healed." Said Tsunade firmly. With that, the hokage walked forward and placed her palm on Kikiyos forehead as she re-tightened the paralysis. Her body grew slacker and she slid a little lower on Kakashi's legs. "You can take her now Kakashi. Behave yourself... Both of you!" She snapped, eyeing Kakashi who smiled innocently through his mask.

Kakashi eased a hand under the girls knees and another under her shoulder blades before lifting her into his arms and gathering her against his chest. She was still so light... He thought as he leapt from the window and onto the roof outside. With a moments pause he jumped along to the next roof top but stopped on that building when he felt nails dig into his chest. He looked down. The girls eyes were wide and fixed on the ground below as she clung to him for dear life.

Kakashi leaned his head down to hers and spoke softly. "I promise I won't drop you. So relax okay? I won't do anything." Kikiyo dragged her eyes from the pavement up to his eye. The one eye visible was soft and reassuring, so she loosened her grip slightly and let Kakashi carry her through the air in the direction of his apartment.

On arrival, Kakashi kicked open the door and carried her in. He stood in the lounge and let her look around a bit.

His flat was nice, fairly basic, but clean and comfortable looking.

"Well, the bedroom is the door to the far right, the bathroom is straight ahead, storage room is to the right though that doesn't concern you at the moment, the kitchen is over there attached to the living room." He explained, pointing out which room is which. "I suppose you'll probably want a bath now that you're out of that cell?"

"Erm, yes... Yes please." She said quietly as Kakashi carried her over to the bathroom and slid the double doors open. He put her down on the blue tiled floor in the first room and pointed out the clothes washer (though she only had the grey hospital wear that she came in) and the shower and bath. After he had pointed everything out he left the room, sliding the door shut behind himself.

Well, this is gonna be a struggle... Thought Kikiyo as she eased off the grey clothes and threw them in the washer above. She pulled herself through to the shower room and turned on the water. She always hated showers, the feel of running water. She could handle baths but didn't really want to risk it. The flinched a little as the warm water ringed over her body. She grabbed the basket of soap and shampoo left out and started washing her hair and body thoroughly. Lathering vigorously all over her skin. At least she would be clean...

Once she was finished she turned off the shower and towelled herself down with some difficulty. Once that was done she made her way back into the first room. Suddenly, the thought hit her that she had no clothes to wear... Damn. She thought as she wrapped herself up tightly in a white towel. It only covered most of her chest and half way down her thighs. She blushed pink at having to ask for clothes when she was wrapped only in a towel.

Once by the door, she clamped her hand up on the wall handle and dragged herself up so that she was on level with the handle. She slid the door open enough that she could see out but stay mostly out of view.

"C-could you... I need some clothes." She asked, pink in the face as she saw Kakashi look up and grin.

"Sure thing" he said as he walked past and into the bedroom. A few seconds later he came back holding a bundle of fabric. He quickly slid open the door half ways. Kikiyo gasped and tried to move back from her position propped up by the door. Her legs failed underneath her and slipped over the tiles as she fell backwards. Quickly Kakashi threw the door open the rest of the way and lurched forward to catch her.

He did, just in time before she hit the floor. He wrapped one arm around her lower back, the other one held her head and shoulders.

He paused to study her only-in-a-towel wrapped body, taking in the hint of cleavage and her small waist.

Kikiyo cried out after a moment of stunned silence. She writhed in his arms as he tightened her grip. A scream escaped her lungs as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Woah woah, it's okay, I was just trying to..." Started Kakashi placing her on the floor. She continued to cry out, tears now rolling down her cheeks from her eyes as she grimaced. She looked as if she was in agony.

"I didn't realise you were so scared of me... Calm down its okay." He hushed, attempting to reassure the cowering girl lying on his bath room floor.

"Get-me-up-it-hurts!" She managed between gasps. Kakashi looked at her questionably but pulled her into a sitting position, hooking his hands around her back.

She cried out again, more tears.

"What? What's wrong?" Asked Kakashi, exasperated by her over reaction.

"M-my back!" She choked as he supported her.

"Your back?" He asked as he shuffled around her. A weight dropped in his stomach when his eyes met with the blood soaked towel back. "Shit..." He cursed when he pulled away the back of the towel to reveal an enormous gash running from her left hip to her right shoulder. She gasped for air and calmed down slowly. Kakashi reached out for his first aid kit. Having opened the plastic green box he pulled out a plain looking pot of ointment.

"I've got to treat this wound Kikiyo..." He muttered as he unscrewed the lid. Scooping some cream onto two finger tips, he started to stroke the White paste over the wound. Kikiyo winced. "I'm sorry, this'll hurt a bit, just trust me" he whispered gently.

There it was again, she thought as she bit her lip. That unexpected kind ness. Where was it coming from? Once he had covered all of the wound, he pulled out a few dressings and bandage. He dressed the wound with multiple squares of white plaster and then picked up the bandage and looked at her. This was gonna have to go round her front. She was already only just covered around her butt and front. He was already turned on enough...

"I-I'll do that..." She whispered, growing very red in the face at the fact that she was nearly naked in front of this older man.

Kakashi snorted lightly. Maybe it was just as well, she was much to young for him as it was... "Okay." He got up and left, sliding the door shut behind him.

Kikiyo struggled with the bandage for a little while before pulling on the kimono Kakashi had brought (which was several sizes too large) and tying the waist band subconsciously right. She crawled over and slid the door open. Kakashi heard and strode over from his position by the table. Picked her up even more gently than before and carried her through to the bedroom. He felt her tense in his arms as she spotted the one double bed.

"You're worrying again..." He chimed, smirking slightly as he started to put her into the bed, pulling back sheets to allow her to slip inside.

"Wh-where will you sleep?" She asked, already really knowing the answer. He put on a big show of looking around the room.

"Well I only see one bed so unless you prefer the floor I guess we will be sharing. Again, don't worry it's big enough for three.

Kikiyo blushed Scarlett, burying her chin into the sheets. "You do that a lot." Laughed Kakashi. "Blushing. I suppose you're probably about the age of my students... Maybe a year younger." He continued. He slid the head protector off of his eye and forehead before folding it and placing it on the cabinet. Kikiyo caught a glimps of the scarred eye lids before he pulled off his shirt carelessly.

"H-h-how old are your students?!" She stammered, squeaking her words as her face burned. His torso was ripplingly muscly, very pale and had a long white scar across the chest along with a couple more minor scars. His hips were sharp and his shoulders broad. She held her breath, he'd notice her reaction.

He raised an eye brow and looked at her sideways.

"Like what you see?" He asked, his voice low and gorgeously masculine. She opened her mouth but was lost for words. He smirked. "My students are sixteen Kikiyo." He replied as he walked round to his own side of the bed.

"H-hey I'm not that young!" She snapped slightly. "I'm twenty one!"

Kakashi looked at her and raised his eye brows. Not believing her. Certainly she had looked older after her chakra was unsealed, but she didn't look that old.

"I am! Put it this way, I was five when my uncle died." She continued.

Kakashi smiled slightly, she really was 21... Though he supposed that her face could pass for it, and so could her shape. It was her height that was deceiving. She was very little and petite, a miniature next to him. Her head didn't come up to his shoulder. Her body was very small proportionately next to her legs which were long for a girl.

"I believe you." He said. He was somewhat relieved that she wasn't so much younger, there was only 8 years between them. It might even be acceptable to fool around with her a bit...

He settled in bed next to her but with a reasonable gap between. Luxuriously he stretched his legs out and exhaled. He looked over at her worried face, the turned down corners of her mouth and wide eyes. She shivered slightly under the covers.

"I keep telling you I'm not gonna do anything... Why are you so tense around me huh? I'm no different to anyone else" he tried to reassure, propping himself up on one elbow.

A more violent shiver wrenched her body.

"I'm not scared. But understand that before you found me, I had only had human contact with Orochimaru and a few sound shinobi." She said numbly.

"Sound shinobi?" He asked.

"Yes before Orochimaru started experimenting, I was trained. It wasn't much use as I'm already naturally..." She stopped in her words as another even more violent shiver quaked her body.

"Look, you're cold. This is exactly the kinda thing you're going to have to tell me." He sighed. He reached over and grabbed her wrist.

"What are you?" She started, trying to pull her hand away.

"It's alright, I'm just gonna keep you warm..." He said innocently, but Kikiyo caught the hint of a sly smile under his mask.

"N-no! Come on this isn't fair." She squeaked as he pulled her into him. He flipped her over so that she faced away from him and then tucked her into his stomach. She fitted nicely under his chin, as if she was made to sleep there. He felt a cold hand touch his bare side and flinched.

"Bloody hell how are you that cold?!" He yelped, wrapping his arms around her tightly so she couldn't wriggle away.

"Let go of me!" She demanded, squiggling in his strong arms. He gripped her tighter.

"No, it wouldn't look great if I let you die of hypothermia. Here..." He replied as he scooped her hands in his, holding them in the nut shell that was his palms. She let out a shaky breath. "Stop wriggling already I need to keep you warm." He laughed slightly, holding her back to his stomach.

She did stop. He was warm and she had been freezing. She hated to admit it but there was something amazing about the feel of his long lean body embracing hers. She had never felt this before... This sensation of pleasant contact. She sighed heavily. Kakashi smirked as he settled himself around her body. She fit him just right and her little, slim body was perfect in his arms.

The sensation was strange. Normally if he had a girl in his bed it was for one reason alone. But somehow, he didn't feel like exploiting Kikiyo that way. She was a mystery, interesting, cute and innocent. She made him want to know more. He inhaled the smell of her hair, freshly washed, the soft strands tickled his nose.

"You warming up any?" He asked, smirking at the top of her head, she was still tense.

"Y-yes but can I go now?" She asked, rolling her eyes round to try and see him.

Kakashi grinned and tightened his grip, indicating his answer.

"W-we can't sleep like this..." She muttered, making a feeble effort to move, struggling with her paralysis.

"We can, and we will. I'm quite enjoying it even if you aren't." He said smoothly, his voice a low, possessive growl.

"Creepy geezer... " she said, making another attempt to get away.

"Geezer?!" He asked incredulously. "How old do you think I am?" He said in mock imitation.

"Well the only thing I have to go on is your grey hair so how am I meant to know? You're older than me." She replied curtly, giving up on her escape mission.

"Silver... It's silver... And I'm 29 so not that old! I'm no geezer young lady." He teased, stroking his hand leisurely up her side.

"A-aaah don't do that!" She squeaked, flinching under his soft touch. She blushed red. "Why the mask anyway. Even in bed?" She continued, trying to avoid any awkwardness or further tickling.

"I'm only wearing it in the apartment because you're here you realise..." He teased.

"W-why?" She demanded, tumbling over her words still.

"Because it's my secret sex weapon." He whispered. The words ran down her neck. He smirked again as he felt her body tense up. "Don't worry though I'm saving that." He said casually.

"W-what?!" She squeaked.

"Goodnight Kikiyo chan." He chimed, nuzzling the back of her neck. She groaned slightly, surprising even herself, at the hot breath on the ticklish point on her neck. She new fine well what Kakashi's grin would be like under that mask.

And indeed he was wearing a Cheshire Cat grin. He had her wrapped around her finger. The groan he had just mustered out of her was completely instinctive. He was going to be this girls awakening. In more ways than one...

...but not too fast... He hesitated. He shut his eyes, frowning at his torn mind as he wondered why she confused him so much...

... Strange...


	3. Hidden vulnerability

**Hello hello. Here is chapter three. I would really appreciate some reviewwwws but even if a couple people are enjoying this I will be happy :) again, things are gonna heat up some more in this chapter. Enjoy!**

Kikiyo woke slowly the next morning. Her eye lids were heavy as she looked bleary eyed to the window. The fine lines of morning light shone over her face, causing her to squint. The looked around and made out the blurred lines of the paper wall. She was swathed in the White bed linen. The green spiral throw was a knot at her feet. She rolled over slowly.

No Kakashi? Not that she was disappointed...

Kikiyo strained to stretch her legs. That was a no go. She tried her arms. They were better off. Clearly the hokage had known which bits of her to target...

Once she had come round a bit and her vision had cleared, she dragged herself through to the kitchen and found herself a seat by the low table. It would appear that Kakashi wasn't in...

She gazed around, sun slipped through the cracks in the blinds and a clock ticked somewhere...

On the wall. A small, metal handed clock was looking at the front door from the far wall. The wide screened tv hung silently in front of her, lacking in colour. A couple of pot plants were perched on the window sill.

She felt bizarrely awake. With certain parts of her chakra sealed away she was virtually human, there was something weird about how restless she felt.

She heard a click at the door and whipped her head around in time to see Kakashi walk in. He was fully dressed with his jonin body warmer and so on. His face was grave... Until he spotted Kikiyo. His face broke into a more relaxed expression.

"Morning. I get the feeling I need someone to tighten your paralysis..." He said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"No you don't..." She growled. Giving him a steely side glance, a small wrinkle appeared on the bridge of her nose as she scowled.

"Okay okay don't kill me." He laughed, walking over. He sat down on the other side of the table.

"When do I get to eat?" She asked, looking at him with bored eyes.

Kakashi bit his lip. It'd be a while until lady Tsunade would allow it...

But she was so very thin. He thought. Her cheek bones were sharp and her wrists boney. Maybe he could consult with her...

"I'm not sure... I need to talk to the hokage about that." He said. "But for now, I have some clothes for you. I asked Sakura to go and get some as I figured she would have a better idea than me..." He continued as he tugged a large paper bag over. He pushed it across the mahogany table.

"She also said that she thought you might have less girly fashion sense than her so she's working around it." He added with a grin.

"She's got me pinned." Said Kikiyo, lightly. The slightest curl on the edge of her lip.

"I took a look with her and I reckon the trousers might be a bit long."

"I'll grow..." She said carelessly.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I thought people stopped growing at your age."

"Surely you've noticed that my chakra effects my appearance?" She replied, raising her own eye brow in imitation.

"Of course, you looked older, I hadn't noticed the height while you were lying down though and it was only a very brief glimpse I had." He said, catching on. She started to rummage in the bag, her cold fingers pushing through tissue paper. She found two loose pairs of trousers. One black one white. They were going to be too long for her at the moment, just as Kakashi had predicted. Another pair of trousers were made of tighter material and had a few more pockets and holsters.

Kakashi interrupted her thoughts, " you don't really do the whole smiling thing do you?" He asked. Grinning softly at her. She sighed, looked sad.

"I haven't done that in a while. It doesn't come naturally to me unless I'm in my full form if I'm honest..." She said. Her eyes were sad, almost disappointed.

"Could you explain to me... This whole multiple chakra sources and human form thing. Lady Tsunade didn't fill me in but I'd like to know seeing as we are living together." He said, clasping his hands beneath his chin expectantly.

Kikiyo swallowed. She continued to rummage through the bag and pulled out a couple of shirts. Blue, black, orange, red, green, cream... She best liked the loose ones with short sleeves, they had string up collars and soft fabric...

"So you've realised by now that I'm not human..." She started, laying out the shirts as she spoke. "I'm not natural either... Orochimaru made me. He took genetics and life force from my father and converted it into a stem cell baby embryo. He then took the genetics and chakra of nine tails and two tails and threaded that into the genes. It took years apparently... But eventually I came out as the end result."

Kakashi sat back and stared, exhaling heavily.

"So... You're beyond a jinchuriki, you're like one of the beasts. It's not a sealing. You are genetically linked to the two tails, nine tails, and Minaki. The previous two tails jinchuriki..." Said Kakashi slowly, getting his head around all the details. "That explains why you look so much like him. You're the spitting image of your father. A female version."

"I never knew him, it doesn't really bother me either..." She said coldly, pulling out a couple of big jumpers in red, blue and black. The furry fabric shivered over her nails as she stroked the Crimson one.

"Were you ever trained?" Asked Kakashi.

"Yes." She said as she pulled some black boots from the bag and teased at the laces. "Though I don't think it ended well, I'm an instinctive fighter. It's in my genetics."

"Sounds good, lady Tsunade did mention the possibility of you being a shinobi..." Continued Kakashi as he watched her.

"That's all I want." She stopped shifting garments for a moment to glance up at Kakashi, she met with his eye and studied it. This eye was warn from experience, lonely yet warm. Kakashi sighed through his nose in a knowing fashion. "You sound like someone I once met in battle... A kekeigenkai boy named haku. He hungered for purpose." He said, gazing out of the water stained window. The young boy's blood stained face flashed in his memory, the calm of his voice... Kakashi gulped.

"You should try to enjoy life and the small things it supplies you with too Kikiyo."

"Well. Who knows? Maybe when I'm myself again I will learn..." She said seriously, eying the man infront of her, finally putting away the clothes.

"I guess I'd better teach you then." He said with a weak but kind smile beneath the black cloth.

"I do have an assignment to get off to..." He said as he started to lift himself to his feet, pulling his legs out from the cross position.

"W-when will you be back?" She inquired quickly, her eyes were still planted on the table but there was an urgency to her voice.

Kakashi walked round and crouched by her. "Now where did that come from?" He asked, looking at her face expectantly as she continued to look down.

"What are you talking about?" She asked softly, a slight pink blush on her cheeks.

"The stutter, you do it when you're nervous but that's the first time you've done it today. Why?" He prompted. He reached out and took her chin, turning her head gently to face him.

Her cold eyes were full of anxiety, they were almost desperate. Kakashi wondered at her. She could seem so secure and stable one minute but the next she was like a frightened rabbit. She looked down. He wanted to know so much more...

He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. He didn't bring his mask down, he didn't need to as he didn't intend to take her further than that. His fingers still held her chin. Gently, he stroked the back of her neck with his other hand for a brief time. He pulled away slowly and calmly, allowing the hand under her chin to trail away, his finger tips tracing her jaw line. She panted slightly and her eyes remained closed. She sagged into him and he scooped her towards him. He lifted her and started to walk through to the bed room.

"I promise I won't be gone too long. Don't worry." He said softly as he placed her in bed. "You should try to get some sleep, even if you aren't tired. Your body needs to heal." He pulled the covers up to her chin and let his hands linger around her face for a moment, as he teased a few stray hairs out of her flinched slightly, still in stunned silence from the aftermath of the kiss. Her eyes were wide and her face blank. Kakashi chuckled; if anything slightly nervously, at her face. After pausing for a few seconds, he rose and strode out of the room. Only when she heard the door click did Kikiyo let out a large sigh. She raised her fingers to her lips and touched them. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she rolled her eyes back, scarce of mind to do something else. He kissed her...

Walking down the high street, Kakashi contemplated her reaction. He breathed quite heavily and figured at the hem of his body warmer. That was... Unexpected. He hadn't meant to kiss her so soon. She looked stunned, terrified and blank at the same time. But then again she didn't exactly show any resistance. He smirked, rubbing his chin between his forefinger and thumb.

One touch and they were interested, one kiss and they were taken. She was certainly interesting...

The next two weeks were spent in a similar fashion. Kikiyo was quiet and passive. Kakashi continued to show displays of both kindness and slyness. The man was feeling more and more drawn to the listeriosis young lady though. Something about her icy eyes and vulnerable voice and gentle hands. He left during most days on assignments and she stayed at home and rested.

Kikiyo awoke at two in the afternoon... Her body was exhausted from the strenuous few years but her mind was ticking like a newly wound clockwork. The sun was dimming slightly now after shining brightly for the midday and she simply had to move. Her legs were still almost completely useless but her arms were more than able to take her slowly out of bed and around the flat.

The girl dragged herself from the bed with some difficulty and made her way through to the bathroom after nicking another of Kakashi's kimonos. This time a grey one with black characters down the back. Thankfully Kakashi's apartment wasn't too big. She crawled to the large gradient bath and turned on the taps. She slid the doors shut and shed the kimono she had put on the day before. She felt more confident now that Kakashi was out. She pulled the bandages and dressings of tentatively and glanced at her back in the mirror. The gash, like a slash of lightening, still ran the full length of her back, but it had stopped bleeding. It just rippled over her ribs in an angry red colour.

She sighed and dragged herself to the bath, grabbing at the handles on the porcelain side. She shut off the taps, tested the water, and when satisfied, climbed in. The floor was slippery beneath her so she settled herself as quickly as possible in the shallow end. She sat up straight and the water came up to her naval. She bit her lip, adjusting to the sting in her back as the hot water hit the wound.

To distract herself she started to pull the water in strokes up her arms and front, rubbing away the imaginary layer of grime. She took a hold of a soap bar to her left and lathered it inbetween her small hands. The bubbles worked around her fingers in a satisfying way, cleaning every crack and crevice. She lathered the suds onto her body and rinsed it away, repeat, rinse, repeat...

Her hair swilled around in the water behind her. She picked up a shampoo bottle and studied the label. Orchard Apple and aloevera scent. For volume in thick hair. Kikiyo snickered slightly to herself as she started to work it into her long hair. He clearly cared somewhat for that silver explosion on the top of his head. Inhaling the familiar scent of apples she had noticed the night before, she took the shower head and switched it on. The gush of cold water sprayed over her scalp, nocking the air out of her lungs momentarily. Slowly the warm water built up and numbed the icy shivers she had received.

She switched the shower off again once the suds were gone from her hair. She scouted around, looking for a hair tie or something. Eventually she settled for the yellow ribbon tied around the new bar of soap. She scooped the caramel mass onto the top of her head and tied it in a messy bun. Letting her arms flop down from the effort, she sank a little lower in the water. She knew she'd have trouble getting up again if she went under so she was playing it safe.

So what's with this guy... She thought. He was a pervert and caring and scary all at once. She couldn't read him at all. She wasn't really one to be intimidated, but this man...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the slam of the front door shutting. She listened and heard the slow, shuffling steps that were Kakashi's. The thunk of shoes in the porch, the sound of a zip opening. She relaxed again. She had no reason to be tense. All the same she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. It covered her rear and half of her bust but that would do. She shrank back in the bath a little.

Why did he make her so anxious, he wasn't really scary, or nasty, or evil in any way really (apart from being a pervert).

"Kyaaa!" Kakashi was stood in the open doorway. He was nude apart from a towel wrapped around his waist and a short mask finishing just below his chin. He looked startled.

"Get out!" She cried, gripping the towel around her chest.

Kakashi's face relaxed into a fox like grin, Kikiyo noted the outline through the mask and her eyes widened.

"No chance. I've finished my assignment and want a bath." He said simply, sliding the door shut behind him and padding over to the tub.

"Y-you can't share! What are you doing?!" She squeaked as he climbed in and sat down in the deep end.

"I can and I am." He laughed, stretching his arms out along the rim behind him and extending his legs out. The bath was big enough that he didn't touch her, but she sat bolt up right and pulled her legs in. The water only covered up to her hips now.

"You can get out if you want." He suggested, waving a hand. He knew fine well she couldn't. Not while holding her towel.

She growled under her breath and he laughed.

"You're very cute when you're angry Kikiyo." He chuckled, his eyes smiling. It dawned on her that the head band was gone and his strange eye was uncovered. Her eye followed the line of the scar down to the mask edge.

"Seeing something interesting?" He asked, an innocent grin on his mouth.

Kikiyo shivered. The water on her upper body was cooling and she certainly felt the temperature change.

"You can't be cold." He said, his face held an expression of disbelief. She glared at him over the bath.

"I can and I am." She retorted in mock imitation. He cocked his head to one side and his one open eye narrowed.

"Pretty smart mouthed aren't Ya Ki-chan."

She scoffed at his familiarisation. Another shiver shook her body and she rubbed her arms.

Kakashi sighed. "Come here." He said as he reached over and grabbed her around the waist.

"What are you doing!?" She squeaked as he wrapped his hands around her small waist and pulled her through the water.

"I'm keeping you warm." He said, nestling her under his arm. She crouched on her toes to keep her head out of the water. He looked down at her red face.

"This is outrageous..." She muttered darkly.

"Yep." He laughed. "I keep forgetting how small you are..." He said, noting the height of the water on her in comparison to himself.

"That's only because I'm human right now." She said quickly, looking up at him, determined not to be underestimated.

"Well how tall are you when you're... Not human." He asked, genuinely interested in her body's weird behaviour.

She looked down and blushed. "Well in half form, my normal preference, I'm about 5 foot 8...In my natural form I'm 5 foot 10." She explained.

"Well that's still pretty small baring in mind I'm 6 foot 6." He laughed lightly, not really wanting to insult her. "How many forms do you have?" He asked, in amusement.

She narrowed her icy eyes at him and he averted his own onyx eye. So cold...

"I have four that I'm aware of. One of which is this human form which I can't actually go into unless my chakra is sealed up. One is my normal form which basically looks human. The other two are... Weirder. But there are like different stages in the transformation which are sort of like forms... I don't know..." She said, talking for herself just as much as Kakashi.

"Hey don't worry about it." He said, laying a hand on the top of her head, "but I understand you not wanting to be in this form of its weaker. I would hate to not have this eye." He tapped the eye lid.

"How did you get it?" Asked Kikiyo. Peering up at it with interest. Kakashi tensed. "It was a friends..." He said solemnly.

"I won't ask anything else." She reassured, sensing it was a touchy subject.

"Some other time I'll tell you about it." He sighed, leaning back in the bath and stretching his arms. There was a comfortable silence for a minute or two as both of them enjoyed the hot water. Nails clawed at Kakashi's skin. Kikiyo had slipped under.

"Shit." He exclaimed, reaching under and pulling her out. She coughed behind her hand as he lifted her onto his lap facing him.

"Oh now come on this is too far!" She snapped, coughing up the rest of the water. She wriggled in his grip as he held her at a small distance from his chest.

"Put your arms around my neck." He ordered, smirking under his mask.

"N-no!" She snapped.

"Have it your way." He said carelessly. He let go of her and she fell. She threw her arms out on either side of his neck to stop herself but he took advantage. In a split second he had whipped down the mask and his lips were on hers. His mouth worked over her mouth, leaving kisses like he was layering paint. She groaned when he paused for air before he engulfed her mouth again.

His tongue worked into her mouth and flicked against hers. He tasted her mouth, savouring the flavour as his hand worked around the back of her neck. His other hand rested on her ass. Cradling it. She sighed into his mouth and shivered against him.

No... To soon. He thought. Her body wasn't ready. He took his hand away and pulled his jaw away from hers. She flopped into him and did wrap her arms around his neck.

"P-perv-ert" she panted, breathing heavily.

"Sorry, don't know what came over me." He said innocently, but a laugh escaped his mouth.

"You're outrageous... Bastard." She cursed as her arms instinctively tightened around his strong neck. He smirked as he felt her tighten the embrace. He raised a hand and pulled up his mask before stroking his fingers up and down the back of her neck.

"So, I take it you're not quite so scared of my now..." He whispered in her ear.

She tensed in his arms. "I wasn't scared!" She snapped.

"Course not." He said, slipping his hand a little lower down her back. She shivered deliciously as he lit her senses. He laughed at her reaction. "You're so cute." He said with a low chuckle. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her a little harder against his chest.

She let out a sharp hiss of pain as he put pressure on her wound.

"Sorry, forgot about that." He murmured as he placed his arms more comfortably. He lavished in the feel of her small wet body pressed against his, the feel of her chest and her butt on his thighs. When since did I possess this level of self control... He thought to himself with a sigh.

He found himself smiling though as he listened to her breathing and she nestled into his neck. Adorable...

He wanted to have her... Of course he did but... He wanted to know more. To get to know her. This was such an alien feeling to him, the night time silver fox.

Kikiyo's face was serious as she rested on Kakashi's shoulders. She wasn't accustomed to these weird feelings of intimacy. Her heart hurt. Like a wound finally healing...

"What's wrong?" Asked Kakashi, he sensed the change in her aura. It was vulnerable and sad.

"I don't know, I've never felt it before..." She murmured, closing her eyes. "My heart feels weird." She admitted, embarrassed at the strange announcement.

Kakashi tensed. There it was again...

"You're lonely and it hurts inside." He said seriously. They were both still. "I know someone... Just like you..." He hugged Kikiyo to him and buried his head into her shoulder. "... I-if you need me, I guess I'm here aren't I?" He said. Kikiyo noted the stutter, he really meant it...

"Thankyou..." She murmured. Kakashi noted a slight shake in her voice and smiled softly, pulling her a bit tighter. He was getting through to her.

He held her in bed that night, even tighter than the night before. Keeping her safe and warm. It was good to know he was needed...


End file.
